Operational Tools for Assessing Environmental Impacts and Benefits in Linear Infrastructure: A Systematic Review

Authors:
Open Access
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The environmental implications of linear infrastructure —such as roads, railways, and pipelines— require robust tools for assessing impacts and benefits. This study presents a systematic review of tools and methods used in high-impact publications between 2021 and 2024, focusing on case studies that evaluate environmental performance across the entire infrastructure project life cycle: planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and end-of-life. The review analyzes 102 peer-reviewed articles and strategic documents. Tools are classified by type (e.g., solutions, services, corporate frameworks), life cycle coverage, goal definition, system boundaries, data quality, and assessment methodology. Results show a fragmented but evolving landscape. Impact assessments are heavily concentrated in construction (69%) and operation phases (78%), while maintenance (53%) and end-of-life stages (37%) remain underrepresented. Spatial modeling, ecological indicators, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are among the most frequently applied approaches (45%, 32% and 27%, respectively). However, structured evaluation of environmental benefits is rare: 70% of studies include no assessment of ecological gains, and none incorporate economic valuation. Comparative evidence indicates that many of these limitations —particularly methodological fragmentation, weak life cycle coverage, and the lack of integration between spatial and technical approaches— have persisted for more than a decade, despite sustained attention in the literature.

This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit: